Doing Theologies in Asian Ways with Asian Resources

- Recollection and Reorientation of PTCA in the New Era for Asian Theological Education -

Program Committee Meeting and Consultation, PTCA

STS, Sabah, Malaysia

Jan. 15-17, 2012

by Huang Po Ho, Dean of PTCA

Introduction

     The attempt to formulate theologies and to implement theological education in Asia can be dated back to the arrival and establishment of Christians of Oriental Orthodox tradition and multiplied with successive Christian sojourn to Asia of Roman Catholic and Protestant Christian missions from Europe and North America. Theological education as institutes of professional higher education has been operating in many of Asian countries for more than a century. Because of the Christian mission legacy, theological education systems implemented in Asia were/are mostly modeled after theological schools from western countries in all their structures, disciplines and curricula. Over the years, despite of many challenges and arguments for new form of theological education and many conferences which have been held to urge that transformation be made for traditional models of theological education, there is still ongoing search for appropriate theological education to meet the contemporary ministerial and societal challenges voiced both by theological faculties and students and church leadership.

【經師、人師與牧者】

【經師、人師與牧者】


中國唐代大文豪韓愈，曾被蘇東坡譽為「文起八代之衰，道濟天下之溺」，他在一千二百多年前寫了一篇傳誦千古的【師說】。在文中他一方面為【師道】定義，強調師者，傳道、授業、解惑也。另一方面卻感嘆：「師道之不傳也久矣，欲人之無惑也難矣！」。嚴格的說，韓愈對教育家的界說：傳道、授業、解惑，只不夠是把老師當成【經師】來期許。如果作經師的期待都不可得，可以想見教育工作的失敗與教育事業的崩毀。